1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to information devices provided with information processing functions as primary functions, information processing apparatuses such as electronic equipment provided with information processing functions as secondary functions, information processing methods, information processing programs, and record media such as CD-ROMs. An example of information devices provided with information processing functions as primary functions may be a personal computer. An example of electronic equipment provided with information processing functions as secondary functions may be an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, a scanner, a facsimile device, a multifunction peripheral, etc., for which remarkable progress has been made in recent years in terms of information processing functionalities.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, multifunction peripherals provided with the functions of a copier, a printer, a scanner, and a facsimile device have been available in the market. Multifunction peripherals are equipped with such hardware as an imaging unit, a printing unit, a communication unit, an operation/display unit, and so on, and are provided with four types of software units corresponding to a copier, a printer, a scanner, and a facsimile device. The switching of these software units makes it possible to function as a copier, a printer, a scanner, or a facsimile device. When functioning as a copier or printer, these multifunction peripherals print images on print sheets or the like. When functioning as a copier or scanner, these multifunction peripherals capture images from original documents or the like. When functioning as a facsimile device, these multifunction peripherals exchange images with other equipment through telephone lines or the like.    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-84383    [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-202208    [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-130532    [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-319646
In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of image forming apparatuses that are designed to provide a login/logout function for the purpose of improving security. This function is supposed to allow only the users capable of logging into image forming apparatuses to use the image forming apparatuses.
In the image forming apparatuses that are designed to provide the login/logout function, the login/logout function is introduced at the expense of loss of the functions to permit sharing by a plurality of users and to provide the parallel processing of a plurality of jobs. Because of this, problems arise such as an incapability of permitting a job interruption, an incapability of permitting a job reservation, a necessity to hold a next job in a wait state, etc. When sharing by a plurality of users or the parallel processing of a plurality of jobs are not achieved in multifunction peripherals, these multifunction peripherals with all their functions cannot prove their full merits. Even in consideration of such demerits, however, security cannot be compromised.
Accordingly, there is a need for an information processing apparatus such as an image forming apparatus that permits sharing by a plurality of users while providing improved security.